Sunday, February 25, 2018

Culture, tradition and religion

People
often confuse culture and tradition in country with the religion of that
country. Tradition and culture often predates religion and it is hard to get
rid of the tradition and culture which is highly entrenched and often comes
into clash with the religion and wins sometimes as the tradition and culture somehow
envelopes the religion and makes it seems like part of the religion which it is
not most of the time. I will give you some examples regarding how it is easy
for the outside people to confuse tradition and culture being part of the
religion. In Saudi Arabia, it has been a long standing taboo that women cannot
drive a car but this was not part of the religion but part of their culture and
tradition. They may have tried to convince people that it is part of religion
but nowhere in any Islamic country, are women not allowed to drive. Driving a
car by a woman driver is not taboo but part of the culture and tradition that
is only being enforced in Saudi Arabia and not even in any Arab country.

Another
tradition/culture I have read is in Yemen where people are eat Khat which is
banned in some countries but legal in some African countries as well as in
Yemen, where it huge. Again since it is a stimulant it has nothing to do with
any Islamic values as tradition/culture dictates its consumption and since it a
stimulant it may be banned in Islam. So does Child marriages, female genital
mutilation (FGM), extravagant spending on marriages and so many others that
people try to associate with a certain
religion but actually is not as some people try to distort certain verses in
the Holy Book to their advantage. It is essential that people read the
background of a certain culture and tradition and try to deduce if it is
actually related to a certain religion. I know it is lot of work but coming to
a conclusion based on little or nonexistent information is worse.